


the sweet spot.

by fixer



Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Alcohol, F/F, Fluff, Language, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-06
Updated: 2016-04-06
Packaged: 2018-05-31 16:21:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,014
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6477361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fixer/pseuds/fixer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Piper is offered a private lesson in lock picking.</p>
            </blockquote>





	the sweet spot.

Piper always knew she was going to have an unusual day whenever she stepped outside of Diamond City with Blue. The girl had dragged her across the Commonwealth more than a few times already, nearly meeting her fate to a slew of dangers...most recently, a deathclaw, which a few scars across her chest would prove...but Piper loved it. Every single minute of it.

"Hey, paper girl," Blue called from the doorway of Publick Occurrences one early morning. It had been a few days since they last parted ways, and judging by the fresh gouge across her left eyebrow, Blue had gotten into trouble since then. Nevertheless, a wide shit-eating grin was spread across her face. "Feel like taking a walk with me?"

Taking a long drag from her cigarette, Piper eyed the half-dried blood that streaked across the woman's face, deciding not to ask about it...for now. "Hmm, that depends, Blue. Does the weather call for a shower of bullets and a chance of raiders?" Of course, Piper wasn't imagining "a walk" to be a leisurely stroll through the Fens. Regardless, Piper would never decline an invitation to accompany Blue, even if it meant facing twenty more deathclaws.

"Oh, it won't be fun if I spoil the surprise," her friend replied with a wink, quickly adding, "buuuut bring a pistol. Just in case. Oh, and a small screwdriver too."

A screwdriver? The journalist knew better than to ask why. She shouted to Nat that she was leaving for a while, adding the orders to be good, stay out of detention, and all the things big sisters were supposed to say. With that, the pair was off.

Blue leading the way, the duo left the green jewel and trekked up to the river before heading east along the water. Meanwhile, Piper was filled in about Blue's venture into Backstreet Apparel during the night. The source of the wound on her face was from a raider and his machete who got the jump on her. Sure enough, the bodies of a few raiders were littered on the ground as they approached the storefront.

"Anyway," Blue said casually, "I got a little distracted before heading back."

"You and distractions are a dangerous mix," Piper replied, which earned her a snicker from Blue. Neither of them could count the number of times they were sidetracked by Blue's need to check out a dilapidated building, a camp, or anything that showed potential for a settlement site.

"That may be true," Blue replied, "but don't they make the journey all the more interesting?"

She led them around the corner and down a block, stopping in front of a small half-buried building. "BANK" was painted on the front in bold letters. The modest trip ended up being a leisurely stroll after all, thanks to Blue clearing the route already, neither of them needing to unholster their weapons the whole way.

"So, what should I be expecting? A nest of ferals? A thousand carnivorous guinea pigs?" Piper inquired, to which she was greeted with a cackle. "Or are you here to make a withdrawal?"

"Something like that." Blue opened the door and held it for Piper, inviting her to step across the threshold first.

Piper's vision slowly adjusted to the dark interior. She took in the the rows of desks and teller counters until her eyes rested on Blue, who was standing in front of the bank's vault. A tiny sliver of light outlined the door, revealing it was unsealed. "Come on," Blue beckoned. "I managed to open this up before I headed back to the city."

Rows of safety deposit boxes lined the walls, and a few safes sat on the ground...all locked. "Blue, did you drag me out here to watch you pick locks for a few hours?" Despite her feigned tone of disappointment, Piper would be happy to do just that. She must have seen Blue do it a hundred times, dozens of doors and safes meeting the wrath of Blue and her bobby pins. Each time she heard the click of a lock yielding, each time Blue muttered _yesss_ or _bingo_ softly under her breath, Piper would feel a chill down her spine.

"Actually, I was hoping you'd want to help. Did you bring what I asked?" Blue dropped her pack into the metal table in the center of the room and unloaded some supplies: two boxes of bobby pins, her own screwdriver, and a few beat up copies of _Tumblers Today_ , which she explained as "inspiration." She then slipped off her Pip-Boy and tuned it to Diamond City Radio, and set the device down next to the magazines.

"A private lock picking lesson, huh?" A wide grin split across Piper's face. She had a lot of guesses as to what she would be getting into since the day began, but she never would have predicted _this_. She was handed a box of hair pins and was instructed to sit on the floor in front of a safe.

Blue crouched down beside her. "Okay, you want to slide the screwdriver into the bottom part of the barrel first, and turn it a bit, like a key." Piper complied before she was handed a bobby pin. "Now, you're gonna use this to push a row of pins up on top of the barrel, make sure you keep that driver turned." The student wiggled her bobby pin like she had seen her teacher do so many times before. It broke after half a minute.

"Fuck," Piper mumbled before she was handed another bobby pin.

"Here." Blue shuffled herself directly behind Piper, resting her head on her shoulder. She wrapped her arms around Piper and took each hand in her own, meticulously guiding each tool. "Don't put too much pressure on the screwdriver. Now, let's find the sweet spot..."

Piper remained silent. She held her breath as Blue controlled her hands, feeling for the release of tension with the bobby pin. The room was suddenly very, very warm, Piper noticed. She was certain that her partner's body, pressed up against her own, could feel her pounding heart. A few moments passed as soft piano notes filled the otherwise quiet space. Finally, she felt the barrel give. "Now," Blue whispered, "turn." Piper turned the screwdriver all the way, and the sweet sound of the lock clicking open greeted their ears.

"Holy shit!" Piper's eyes widened as her eyes fell upon a collection of jewelry and wads of prewar bills. As she eagerly gathered up the loot, Blue rose to her feet. Piper's excitement immediately melted away as her body felt her absence, her skin burning where it was in contact with the other woman seconds before. She shook her head and pushed the feeling of deprivation to the back of her mind. "I guess this makes me a certified bank robber," she announced, turning her head to look up at her mentor.

Blue smiled and clapped her hands together. "Excellent! That means we can get to work!" She threw her head back and laughed as she turned and walked toward the deposit boxes closest to the vault door. Piper watched her in quiet contemplation before moving onto the second safe.

The duo labored inside the bank vault for a few hours. Piper was a fast learner and managed to open up all of the safes, and helped with a good portion of the boxes. Blue would offer assistance when a lock was particularly stubborn. When one stumped them both, they poured over the issues of _Tumblers Today_ until they found a solution.

As per usual, they chatted the entire time, musing on a variety of topics from their families, to the Institute, to Nuka Cherry. One of the things Piper loved the most about Blue was that she was always answering her questions. The journalist's reputation caused most people to avoid her at all costs, and lately the words she heard most often were "no comment" and "fuck off." But Blue, she seemed happy to share herself with Piper. She relayed tales about her new life in the Commonwealth, voiced her hopes and fears for the future, recalled memories from before the bombs. The prewar stories were Piper's favorite.

Finally, one safety deposit box was left, and Piper did the honors. She felt Blue's eyes on her as she nervously tinkered with the keyhole. The lock opened almost straight away, and Blue patted her on the back. "Nice work, Miss Wright." They peered inside, their gaze settling on the box's only contents, a wine bottle.

Piper'es eyes scanned the faded label. "1830...vintage...Madeira? Jeez, this is ancient even by your standards, Blue."

Her partner grabbed the bottle, slowly turning and examining it in her hands. "Wow. I definitely wasn't expecting anything like this." Blue turned around and studied the inventory of spoils that had accumulated on the table. It was glistening with gold, silver, and jewels. Stacks of prewar money lined one side. She looked back down at the wine that was cradled in her hands. "Soooo," she cooed, "I think this job was a success, and we should celebrate." She leaned against the wall and slumped to the floor, inviting Piper to do the same by gesturing to the space next to her.

Piper took a seat and watched as Blue produced her switchblade and wrestled with the bottle. After a few minutes of steady cursing, the cork was out. "Bottoms up," Blue proclaimed before shutting her eyes and taking a swig. She considered the flavor for a few seconds before humming in approval, passing the bottle to her partner in crime. Piper eyed the dark brown liquid suspiciously. Wine wasn't an uncommon find in the Commonwealth, and what she had tried always tasted vinegary and burned her nostrils. She decided to humor Blue and took a swallow. What met her tongue was syrup and acid, with a flavor that reminded her of butterscotch. "Not bad," she admitted, taking another generous sip.

While they sat and enjoyed the wine, the duo discussed their plans to trade their treasure for caps, weapons, and ammo. To their dismay, it didn't take long for them to reach the bottom of the bottle. For a few minutes, they listened to the radio without saying a word, each one mulling over the day they spent together.

"Thanks for inviting me out to do this with you, Nora," Piper finally said, her voice soft and sugary from the Madeira. Blue stared at her friend. Her "real" name wasn't something she heard often from Piper. "I used to think I was okay just having Nat and the press. But then, days like this, being out here with you..." Piper's face flushed, the cause being a combination of alcohol and embarrassment. She reigned herself in, on the verge of spilling her guts. "What I'm trying to say is, I'm grateful to have a friend like you in my life, someone who actually cares about me. So...thank you. "

Piper watched in disbelief as Blue reached for her hand and carefully laced their fingers together, and for a second, she thought about all of those locks that had been breached.

"I'm lucky that I met you out here, Piper," Blue sighed, her words just as syrupy. She struggled to put into sentences what she was really trying to convey. "You're just so... _human,_ " was all that she could manage.

As Piper tried to decipher the cryptic remark, Blue scooted closer, resting her head on her shoulder for the second time that day.

A familiar tune began playing from the Pip-Boy, a song that Piper remembered Blue mentioned being one of her favorites. The two listened as Billie Holiday serenaded them with words that they so desperately wanted to say to each other.

_People say you rule me with one wave of your hand_  
_Darling, it's grand_  
_They just don't understand_  
_Living for you is easy living_  
_It's easy to live when you're in love_  
_And I'm so in love_  
_There's nothing in life but you_


End file.
